


Warm

by Fangirlwriting



Series: Welcoming Arms [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Hug The Light Sides 2021, Hugs, LITERALLY, Morality | Patton Sanders Needs a Hug, Protective Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28562844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlwriting/pseuds/Fangirlwriting
Summary: Virgil has been living with the others for several weeks now, and if he had to say what he missed most about Janus and Remus, it would easily be hugs.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: Welcoming Arms [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092758
Comments: 34
Kudos: 130





	Warm

**Author's Note:**

> This was started based on a brainstorm I was part of in a discord server about the light sides being the touch starved ones and the dark sides being very comfortable with touch. I did not mean it to become a whole AU, but... no one can stop me now.

Virgil loved getting hugs. And this was not a problem. For his whole life, he had been smothered in them. Remus gave hugs by tackling someone at random intervals and squeezing the living daylights out of them. It could be terrifying at first, but then it was surprisingly comforting. And Janus had six arms, so it was impossible for his hugs to not be amazing. The three of them had regularly scheduled cuddle sessions that came with movie nights, as well as additional ones whenever someone felt like asking (usually it was Remus). Physical affection had been a constant for all of Virgil’s life, it was far past normal for him. It had never occurred to him to assume that the same wasn’t true of the others.

For the first couple weeks after the others had accepted him, when he was still trying to soothe the ache that Janus and Remus had left, he couldn’t name a time he’d gotten a hug from one of the others. He understood that. After all, things were still more than a little awkward between them, and despite his newfound acceptance, he wasn’t quite comfortable with them yet. But for someone like him, who had grown up with the only obstacle to a hug being a mere sentence to ask for one, a couple of weeks felt like far too long.

Then again… they accepted him now, right? They understood why he was needed. If he changed his attitude enough, they might even like him one day. How much was asking for a hug really going to jeopardize that? After all, hugs were normal things that everyone did all the time. Sure Virgil was still a new member of their family, but they couldn’t mind  _ really… _ right?

Okay, maybe they would. He honestly wasn’t sure. He didn’t see anyone hug each other when he was in the same room as all of them, so maybe it was just something they did more privately? That was truly bizarre for him, but he could certainly respect that. For this reason, he’d singled out Patton as the person to ask. Logan was definitely very closed off about these kinds of things, so he seemed like a bad first choice. And Roman… that relationship was still too rocky for Virgil to consider himself comfortable asking.

Patton, on the other hand, was very loving. He had to be easy to ask for a hug from. He would do it in private, of course, as that seemed to be how the three of them liked it for whatever strange reason.

Virgil decided that it would be a good plan to put in place after dinner, so he stayed behind in the kitchen as Patton was going to start on the dishes. Patton didn’t notice him at first, so eventually Virgil cleared his throat awkwardly.

Patton turned around in surprise. “Oh! Did you need something, kiddo?”

“Uh, yeah,” Virgil said, shifting around on his feet and looking at the ground. “I’m not entirely sure how differently you guys do this kind of thing, but I was wondering… could I have a hug?”

Patton didn’t reply for long enough that Virgil looked up in a panic. Patton was staring at him in obvious surprise, and he blinked a couple times before smiling again. “Oh, of course, kiddo!” he called brightly, and Virgil could have melted in relief.

Patton opened his arms, looking more awkward than Virgil would have expected from him, but nevertheless he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Patton.

Okay, so Janus and Remus had told him before that when he hugged people, it felt like a safety net. Like they could truly relax for the time being because Virgil would take care of any potential threats of any kind just by holding them close. They seemed to think he was at least as good at hugging as Janus was (which they had to have been teasing him about, because Janus had  _ six arms _ ).  But Virgil couldn’t say either Janus or Remus had ever held onto him as tightly as Patton had. It was perfect honestly, because this is exactly what Virgil had needed right now. If it had been available, he would have done almost anything for a Remus bear hug.

Virgil was a little embarrassed by how long he kept hugging Patton, but then again, he had gone several weeks without one, he was pretty sure he was entitled to be a little clingy. But when he was satisfied with the length he’d been holding on to him, and started to pull back to thank Patton, he was surprised by the side whining and pulling Virgil back in.

“Please don’t let go,” Patton whispered, and Virgil blinked in shock as he realized he was  _ crying. _

“Patton, what’s—” Virgil started before Patton seemed to realize what he’d said and jumped back about half a foot.

“Oh my goodness, I’m sorry!” he cried, wiping at his eyes as if the tears welling up in them weren’t obvious. “You just… you… you’re warm,” Patton whispered, wrapping his arms around himself in about the most pitiful excuse for a hug Virgil had ever seen.

“Wha— yeah? People usually are? Patton, are you okay?”

“I’m—” Patton took a deep breath and wiped his eyes one more time. “I’m fine, kiddo. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so emotional all of a sudden.” He smiled a little and turned back around, seemingly about to do the dishes.

Oh, Virgil most certainly was not done with this conversation. “Patton, why were you surprised by me being warm?”

“I’m…” Patton turned back around and took a hesitant step back, despite looking like he wanted to do the exact opposite. “I’m sorry. I’m just… not used to it, I guess.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes in concern. “What do you mean you’re not used to it? Patton how— how often do the others hug you?”

“I mean…” Patton looked away. “We— we never really… you know.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “Patton, you guys  _ never _ hug each other? Do you understand how unhealthy that is?”

Patton looked up at him in surprise. “What do you mean? People don’t need touch. It’s not like food, or water, or—”

“Absolutely  _ yes it is,” _ Virgil said. “Patton, I just gave you a hug and you started crying. Does that seem like a normal, healthy reaction to you?”

“Well— I just—” Patton seemed at a loss for words.

“Okay. Okay, come here.” Virgil stepped across the small space between them and opened his arms.

“What?” Patton whispered.

“Do you want another hug?” Virgil asked.

Patton’s eyes welled up with tears again, and he nodded. Virgil wrapped his arms around Patton again, much more gently than the first time. Patton lasted about three seconds before he burst into tears and buried his head in Virgil’s shoulder.

Virgil tried to channel whatever kind of protective energy he supposedly carried with his hugs, and it seemed to work, because after a second Patton melted into his hold. Virgil half carried, half walked Patton over to the couch in the living room as he started to plan having this conversation with Roman and Logan too, because if the three of them really  _ never _ touched each other, that had to change immediately.

But for now he could hold Patton close until he stopped crying, and enjoy the second hug they had both gotten in what was clearly too long.


End file.
